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(Lithograth courtesy of www.oxygenee.com)
"After the first glass, you see things
as you wish they were. After the
second, you see things as they are
not. Finally, you see things as they
really are,
and that is
the most
horrible thing in the world."
- Oscar Wilde
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The one drink that influenced some of the most creative artists of modern time was the dazzling green liquor called Absinthe.
Absintheís notorious history involves Ernest Hemingway, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, Picasso, among others.
Referred to some as ěThe Green Fairy,î this alcohol is derived from wormwood which contains Thujone, a chemical that is blamed for people going mad after excessive consumption of this product.
The United States Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale of spirits that contain Thujone.
If that is not enough for the not so tame drinker, wormwood contains a substance that causes vertigo and delusions called santonin.
Absinthe has milky green color and tastes like licorice. It is prepared by pouring iced water over a cube of sugar resting on a slotted spoon. The cold water dissolves the sugar and trickles into the glass of the green absinthe.
Absinthe has been known to drive people mad, this is the cause of many countries banning the product. Excessive use can cause convulsions, hallucinations, tremors and paralysis.
During my short stay in Portugal, I was fortunate to encounter this highly potent alcohol. Bringing a bottle of it back to the states was no problem, until I shared the intriguing history of Absinthe, dating all the way back to Hipposcrates, with friends and family who were sure to test the legendary spirit. The bottle of this mystical liquor didnít last long after that.
Absinthe was used as a medical remedy for such ailments as menstraul cramps and anemia. The French doctor, Pierre Ordinaire, began distilling in France where it became popular in the late 18th century. The drink's popularity peaked in the late 1800s when Absinthe was being widely used by bohemians and revellers alike who attended the Moulin Rouge.
At the beginning of the next century, Absinthe was banned in Switzerland, the United States, France, along with many European countries. Soon after, there was a substantial black market for the product.
Ingredients
- Wormwood (artemisia absinthium)
- Angelica Root Anise Hyssop
- Coriander,Licorice Root
- Star Anise, Balm Lemon
- Calamis Root
- "Magic Opaline" (anisette to create the famous milky loache that distinguishes
absinthe from other liqueurs)
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